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Mr. Trudeau Goes to Washington


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http://globalnews.ca/news/2569481/obama-and-trudeau-joke-about-beer-hockey-during-white-house-welcoming/

Video inside

 

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U.S. President Barack Obama began his opening remarks with a few light-hearted jokes about beer and hockey as he welcomed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to White House.

Speaking to a crowd on the White House lawn Thursday, Obama welcomed the young Liberal leader and his wife, Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau, and noted this was the first visit by a Canadian prime minister in almost 20 years, throwing in a few Canadianisms, including an “eh.”

The president continued to show off his comedic chops with saying that although Canada and the U.S. have a close relationship there are a few things the two countries may never agree on.

“There are some things we will probably never agree on. Who’s beer is better, who is better at hockey,” Obama joked.  “Where is the Stanley Cup right now? Is it in my hometown with the Chicago Blackhawks?”highlighting the need for strong Canadian “exports.”

“Speaking of exports we know for certainty there is a high demand for Canadian goods down here. A few that come to mind that President Obama rightly recognized as being extraordinary contributors to the American success story is Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp of the Chicago Blackhawks,” Trudeau said to a round of cheers from the Canadian delegation and Canadian ex-pats in attendance.

Trudeau better be ready for what comes after Obama

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/john-ivison-trudeau-better-be-ready-for-what-comes-after-obama

 

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None wanted to scoop the president by giving away the “deliverables,” but in the words of Mark Feierstein, senior director for the western hemisphere on the National Security Council, we are witnessing a “developing special relationship.”

Reading between the lines, Obama wants Trudeau to say something unequivocally positive about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. “That will be very, very high (on the agenda) – at the top – it’s very important for President Obama,” said Feierstein. “We are respectful of the [consultation] process Canada is undergoing and we defer to (Trudeau) on what he might say during the visit.”

The Americans are also keen to gain agreement on entry/exit provisions, in the form of shared information between customs authorities about who is entering and exiting the two countries. At the moment, border officials know when people enter, but there are no formal records of their departure, mainly for privacy reasons. “We are hopeful with regard to that,” said Feierstein.

In return, Trudeau may secure concessions in negotiating a new softwood lumber deal. The American officials would not be drawn on the prospect of an agreement extension, beyond saying they welcome that the Trudeau government is open to exploring all possible options to settle the dispute.

The other area where the two leaders may break into a chorus of Kumbaya is climate change. Todd Stern, the U.S. special envoy for climate change, said there are hopes the two countries can agree to cut emission on methane in the energy sector by 40 to 45 per cent from 2012 levels and embrace an initiative to stop routine flaring from oil- and gas fields. There are likely to be further initiatives on carbon emissions from the aviation sector and the phasing out of hydrocarbon industrial gases.

It is all a remarkable shift from the bad blood that marked the latter Harper years, the product of a “coincidence of agendas,” according to Feierstein, between two young leaders with progressive visions of government and a commitment to diversity and multilateralism.

Even when disagreements have arisen, neither has become disagreeable.

“We are satisfied with their contribution,” said Feierstein, when asked about the Trudeau government’s withdrawal of fighter jets from the Middle East.

But, as a new paper from the Macdonald Laurier Institute, by Laura Dawson and Sean Speer, points out, warm personal relationships are not sufficient for a lasting bilateral engagement.

The honeymoon is bound to be shortened by the U.S. electoral cycle and the complexity of the relationship, they point out.

Even during this time of accord, the Americans are never reticent about pursuing their interests. A letter has just been sent by four senators and eight representatives, most from border states, urging Canadian Health Minister Jane Philpott to fight prescription drug abuse by limiting the availability of non-abuse deterrent opioids, including oxycodone pain relievers. The Conservatives, for reasons best known to themselves, allowed producers to manufacture easily abused generic OxyContin, which the U.S. politicians claim is finding its way across the border.

The Trudeau government must be similarly single-minded, even when faced with strong personal connections.

The U.S. may be as staunch a friend as Canada will ever have. But no ally is eternal, while our interests are eternal and perpetual.

The reality is that Obama is leaving soon and Trudeau is just getting started.

 

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12 minutes ago, Ryan Strome said:

Obama teasing about hockey...

 

Not cool Obama, not cool!

I like Obama and I know it's just a lighthearted joke but seriously, my biggest pet peeve is unknowledgable Americans using Stanley Cups as an argument for the US being better at hockey, despite the fact that if it weren't for Canadian players and management those same teams would be in the basement.  Trudeau got him pretty good on that one.

 

By that logic if Blue Jays won the World Series it would mean Canada is the best at baseball.

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1 minute ago, etsen3 said:

I like Obama and I know it's just a lighthearted joke but seriously, my biggest pet peeve is unknowledgable Americans using Stanley Cups as an argument for the US being better at hockey, despite the fact that if it weren't for Canadian players and management those same teams would be in the basement.  Trudeau got him pretty good on that one.

 

By that logic if Blue Jays won the World Series it would mean Canada is the best at baseball.

+1 

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43 minutes ago, gurn said:

Wasn't a Canadian the number #1 overall last draft in that Canadian created game of basketball?

Karl-Anthony Towns is not Canadian.  Do people not even bother looking up stuff anymore?

 

It's like saying "I hear that marathon runner with cancer back in the 80s was Chinese".  So easy to just google.

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3 minutes ago, Bob.Loblaw said:

Karl-Anthony Towns is not Canadian.  Do people not even bother looking up stuff anymore?

 

It's like saying "I hear that marathon runner with cancer back in the 80s was Chinese".  So easy to just google.

Apparently people do look things up on google, and I thank you for doing it. :)

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42 minutes ago, etsen3 said:

I like Obama and I know it's just a lighthearted joke but seriously, my biggest pet peeve is unknowledgable Americans using Stanley Cups as an argument for the US being better at hockey, despite the fact that if it weren't for Canadian players and management those same teams would be in the basement.  Trudeau got him pretty good on that one.

 

By that logic if Blue Jays won the World Series it would mean Canada is the best at baseball.

Don't get your panties in a bunch.  Trudeau pointed that out and zinged him last month making that same exact point.  He burned him when he pointed out Canada's Hockey Olympic Gold.

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41 minutes ago, Ryan Strome said:

I like the Patrick sharp mentioning, lol like why not use a different Canadian, you know like one still playing in Chicago.

Because the point was about winning the cup in previous years, not this year. Sharp was a big part in all 3 for Chi.

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7 minutes ago, Ryan Strome said:

Obviously. Clearly you didn't get my point. It's all good.

I got your point. I'm saying that it's irrelevent if they currently play on Chicago or not. Justin was souly talking about how Canadian players helped Chicago win their cups in the past. He wasn't simply mentioning that there are Canadian players on the Hawks.

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Okay, this works every time and would on Obama easy.

 

When an american claims america is better at hockey cause they got the cup in Chicago.

Immediately ask them to list the American players on the Black Hawks,

Works even better if you actually know the nationalities of all their players, so you can correct each of their guesses.

Many will get Kane, almost none get the other 2.  Then list off the Canadian players on the team for them.

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